Mintel’s top 4 beauty predictions for 2018

According to the firm, the following are the major trends set to influence beauty and personal care on a worldwide scale, looking at the implications for consumers, brands and manufacturers alike:

• Biotechnology, together with a resurgence of local wisdom, will help brands face up to the challenges created by environmental issues.
• As consumers across the world are creating their own definitions of beauty which look beyond age, gender, and body type, brands that try to appeal to the 'mass' will miss the mark.
• Beauty consumers won't just want to look good, but feel good too, by going beyond the logo and investing in brands with a personality and purpose to perform good deeds.
• Beauty brands will be watching consumers’ every move, as digital technology drives unprecedented customisation of the shopping experience.

“Mintel predicts that the beauty and personal care market will experience a fundamental shift during 2018,​” says the firm’s director of global innovation and insight for beauty and personal care, Vivienne Rudd.

An expert’s overview​

Giving her take on the recent predictions by Mintel, Rudd said:

“In the coming year and beyond, the beauty industry will navigate the conflicting demands of the ‘naturals-hungry’ consumer with shrinking natural resources and it will be through harnessing biotech advantages that a new generation of enhanced natural products is created. ​

“Meanwhile, personalisation is set to reach new heights as brands strive to embrace total inclusivity. When it comes to ethics, it will be imperative for brands to have a personality that is genuine and a viewpoint that clearly communicates their positioning. ​

“Finally, developments in biometric monitoring will see brands drive unprecedented customisation of the shopping experience.”​

Naturals: a local approach​

One of the key areas of focus in the firm’s predictions is the consumer demand for naturals while also expecting ever greater levels of sustainability from brands.

Mintel suggests that brands can meet both these demands by focusing on local approaches and on developments in biotechnology.

“A move to become more 'local' in terms of ingredient sources will create opportunities for consumers to protect and preserve resources within their surrounding environment,”​ the firm confimed.

“In the coming year, the possibilities for creating safe, allergen-free, pure, and efficacious ingredients through science could replace the harvesting of natural ingredients​.” Discover Mintel’s four tends in a deeper-dive article here​.